Press Review

Interviewed by “Hayots Ashkhar,” Gagik Minasian, a senior parliamentarian, confirms that the delegation representing Armenia’s ruling coalition will discuss early elections at its next meetings with representatives of the opposition Armenian National Congress (HAK). “We will raise questions, receive answers, present our counterarguments and justifications,” he says. “Because the issue authored by our HAK colleagues tops the agenda we will discuss that issue first. We will then switch to the second issue [proposed by the coalition team.”

“Haykakan Zhamanak” says that the HAK made substantial headway in forcing fresh elections, arguing that the authorities are now ready to discuss the matter. The opposition paper also claims that the West has realized that snap polls are the only way of overcoming the political crisis in Armenia. In addition, it says, the HAK has gained more public trust and credibility in the last three years.

“Frankly speaking, the impression is that two groups of children are trying to fool each other,” “Hraparak” writes in reference to the government-opposition dialogue. “Everyone hopes that with a primitive game they can push through what they want, manage to win time, further their message and convince the other side. If that’s not the case, then the status of children is assigned to, the society, whom these two teams are trying to fool. With their primitive game they are trying to imitate a political struggle, makes us believe that they care about the country and the people and are sincere in their intentions.”

“Aravot” says the HAK’s latest rally in Yerevan’s Liberty Square was a cause for celebration for the coalition and other political groups critical of Levon Ter-Petrosian’s bloc because it was poorly attended. The paper believes that the poor attendance was the result of hot weather and the fact that “the Congress essentially had nothing new to say.” It says Ter-Petrosian and his associates simply reaffirmed the warning that they issued to the authorities at the previous rally held on June 30. The paper says HAK supporters did not need such reminders and they will turn out in larger numbers next month.